Product Description

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As co-host of HGTV's My Big Family Renovation, Hatmaker knows what it takes to rehab a home. But as a pastor, he's more interested in restoring people's faith. Exploring eight essentials of Christianity---the gospel, identity, Scripture, discipleship, kingdom, mission, community, and justice---he provides practical applications that will help you experience a richer relationship with Christ. 240 pages, hardcover from Nelson.

Publisher's Description

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What if were just skimming the surface?

Christianity holds out the promise of a better way and a better day. So weve studied, joined more small groups, and checked all the boxesyet, were still hungry for more. What if the gospel weve come to know is even deeper than we ever imagined? What if the same gospel that works in us to change us continues to work through us to change everything else?

Speaking from more than twenty years of experience working in the local church, Brandon Hatmaker leads us past the hurdles between our current lives and the lives we crave. He shows us how Jesus changes everything and how a greater understanding of the gospel leads to deeper faith, richer community, and more fulfilling purpose.

Author Bio

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Brandon is an author, biker, TV personality, and huge fan of the underdog. He is founder and CEO of The Legacy Collective (www.LegacyCollective.org), a giving community focused on partnering, pioneering, and funding sustainable solutions to systemic social issues around the world. Brandon is author of Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture. He is married to author and speaker, Jen Hatmaker.

As a host and guest judge for HGTV and DIY Network (My Big Family Renovation, Brother v.s. Brother, Tiny House Arrest), Brandon Hatmaker understands what it takes to rehab a home. But after twenty-plus years of working with the local church (and as husband to bestselling author Jen Hatmaker), he has an even greater understanding of what it takes to rehab an everyday faith. In A Mile Wide, he helps readers see more clearly how the gospel works in us and eventually through us to transform an anemic spiritual life into a deeper, fuller, and more effective faith.

Offering fresh perspective on eight essentials of Christianitythe gospel, identity, scripture, discipleship, kingdom, mission, community, and justiceHatmaker provides biblical insight and practical applications that tap into the richer life Christ promised his people, individually and as a community. God wants more than simply to save us; hes also determined to transform us, restore us, and use us to reveal the coming of his kingdom right here, right now.

(excerpt from back of book)

Confession time! I totally and completely only noticed this book due to the HGTV in the title. However, even though my motives for choosing this book were a little hazy and magpieish, Brandon Hatmaker's A Mile Wide stands to be one of the most impacting and powerful books of 2016 for this reader.

Brandon's style is honest, straightforward, and backed with scripture first then practical experience. His story-telling style with the openness he so easily displays when talking about his love of people digging in deep to community, and areas he's personally wrestled with on his own journey make this book engaging. I love how this book takes readers through new perspectives and, I think, that's something important to Brandon. Throughout the book assumptions are being challenged, mainly through stories be they of soccer skills, homeless encounters, or his children's reactions to television. Each story has a purpose and a lesson to share.

Brandon openly acknowledges some readers may have issue with his views due to the tension that exists in some congregations regarding social justice vs. evangelism. I loved how Brandon built a solid foundation regarding faith in general before launching into this particularly outworking allowing it to become a natural next step and one that was defined by scripture rather than just defended.

I would highly recommend this book 5 out 5 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

I don't remember the last time I read a work of Christian nonfiction by a male author.

Scratch that - I do. I remember getting so mad at John Piper in college that I swore I would never read another straight, white dude's ideas about God ever. EVER.

So fast-forward a whole bunch of years, and I discover and fall in love with Jen Hatmaker. So when I hear her husband has a new book coming out, I am - despite my best intentions - curious. I decide to give it a shot.

And it was good. And honestly, that's saying something, because I've read some pretty amazing books in this genre this year, so he had a fairly high standard to live up to. His book was a nice mixture of big dreams - as Christians, we are called to step out and meet the needs of the world - as well as practical steps - start by slowing down, and identifying what actually needs to be done where you live. Hatmaker introduces a new way of living and relating to the world, but doesn't stop at the ideas - he gives individual people the tools to make change, in their own house, neighborhood, and community. His words are challenging, and I found myself nodding with agreement on one page, and feeling convicted on the next.

There are a couple of tiny, stylistic things that kept me from falling completely in love, but overall I found it to be excellent. I'm so glad I put my misconceptions aside and gave this one a try. Definitely recommended!

(I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion - thank you!)